Sasuke wiped his mouth, tasting the faint hint of blood. He shook his head slightly, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. His expression was steely, but there was no mistaking the lingering tension in his eyes. He didn’t speak, but his gre at Lee told the story—this fight was far from over.

  Lee, not giving Sasuke a moment to recover, darted fain, his movements a blur. Sasuke was ready for him this time, his Sharingan activated as he attempted to block Lee’s barrage of strikes. The air crackled with energy as the two ninjas collided, their movements blindingly fast and precise. Lee’s speed aless attacks kept Sasuke on the defensive, his body straining to keep up.

  Kuro watched from the side, his eyes gleaming. *This fight’s only gettier,* he thought. *And now Sasuke has no choice but to give it everything he’s got.*

  It was being increasingly clear: Lee might just have the upper hand—but Sasuke wasn’t about to let this challenge end with a loss.

  The atmosphere in the hallway crackled with arision, as if the very air was charged with the energy of the battle. The sharp sound of Rock Lee's foot eg with Sasuke Uchiha's echoed off the walls, a blow so forceful it sent the usually posed Uchiha flying upward in a perfect arc. Time seemed to slow as Sasuke's body twisted, struggling tain trol in midair, his eyes fshing with the sharpness of a seasoned fighter. His hands reached out instinctively, trying to stabilize himself, but it was too te. The force of Lee's attack had already dos damage, propelling him higher.

  Lee, oher hand, was a blur of motion. His training had made him a master of speed and precision, and this moment was no different. Without hesitation, he unfurled the bahat ed his arms, the white fabrifurling like ribbons in the wind. They fluttered as though they were alive, following the rhythm of his movements. The gesture was a signal of the phase—his teique was about to unfold, and Sasuke’s fate seemed all but sealed. Lee’s body surged forward with a speed that made it impossible for anyone, not even his closest allies, to track his movements. His goal was clear: he was going to catch Sasuke in midair ahis fight in a decisive, almost brutal manner.

  Naruto and Sakura watched in stunned sileheir eyes wide with shoaruto's mouth hung open as Lee vanished in an instant, moving faster than even he, with his heightened reflexes, could follow. He could only catch glimpses of Lee’s rapid approach, his mind struggling to process the sheer speed and power Lee was exhibiting. Sakura stood frozen, her heart rag, her eyes dartiween Lee's movements and Sasuke's vulnerable, spinning form in the air. It all felt surreal, as if time itself was bending uhe weight of Lee’s relentless assault.

  Just as Lee was about to reach Sasuke, i on finishing what he had started, an ued shift broke the rhythm of the fight. From the edge of the hallway, a figure moved with quiet precision. Kuro, who had been standing in the shadows, made his move. His fingers dipped into the pouch at his side, retrieving a kunai with a fluidity that suggested it was as natural to him as breathing.

  *This is it,* Kuro thought, his mind sharply focused oask. *Lee’s speed is impressive, but it's predictable. A few more seds, and Sasuke’s done for.*

  Kuro’s fingers closed around the kunai as he adjusted his stance. He wasn’t just throwing a on. This was his "Bullseye" skill in a—a teique that made his kunai throws unerringly precise. It wasn’t just accuracy—it was the ability to calcute, to predid thee a throw so perfect, the target couldn’t escape. He knew, without a doubt, that the kunai would ly where he aimed.

  With a flick of his wrist, the kunai sliced through the air, its trajectory already locked in. It was a silent blur, a force of nature in its ht, heading straight for the bandages Lee had unwound.

  The kunai struck true, embedding itself in the fabrid pinning it against the wall with a resounding thud.

  Lee’s momentum faltered immediately, his focus shattered for a brief instant as his body was thrown off course. He twisted midair, his calcuted attaow disrupted. The trolled elegance of his nding became slightly less fluid, the sudden interruption enough to break his rhythm.

  Sasuke, no longer held aloft by Lee, began to fall toward the ground. But fate had other pns. Just as his dest became iable, a figure dashed forward. Sakura, eyes wide with determination, caught Sasuke in her arms just in time, softening the impact. Her chest heaved with the strain, but she mao steady him, her face a mixture of relief and .

  The hallway fell into a deep silehe tension now heavier than ever. All eyes turoward Kuro, who stood at the edge of the shadows, his kunai pouch still open. His expression was ral, but the quiet iy in his eyes spoke volumes. He had done what he o do, and now, it was clear that the bance of power had shifted.

  Lee, still brimming with adrenaliuro face Kuro. His gaze was sharp, sizing up the man who had so effortlessly disrupted his attack. There was a flicker of annoyan Lee's eyes, but also a sense of respect for the precision Kuro had shown.

  Sakura, still holding Sasuke, gnervously betweewo men. Her breath caught ihroat, realizing the tensioween them. *This isn’t over yet...*

  Kuro stepped forward with measured ease, the soft k of his kunai pouch swaying slightly with his movements. His expression remained ral, but there was a quiet iy in his eyes as he regarded Lee, taking iermined energy that radiated from him. The hallway, once filled with the hum of battle, now seemed still—like the calm before a storm.

  Kuro walked slowly towards him, each step deliberate and heavy with anticipation. His voice was ced with a dramatie as he spoke, "Sorry, bro," he began, his words lingering in the air, "I couldn’t stop myself. Had to intervene, even if it meant ruining your fun."